The City of Carmel Department of Stormwater Management manages the city’s Stormwater Program and Stormwater Utility. 

The Stormwater Program implements the city’s Stormwater Management Plan, which is required by the Clean Water Act. 

The Stormwater Utility establishes a fee that helps offset the ever-increasing costs to maintain existing stormwater infrastructure, construct new infrastructure, address localized drainage issues and prevent waterway pollution. A flat fee is charged for residential properties.  Non-residential properties are charged a multiple of the residential fee, based on the amount of hard surface on the property. The fees are subject to an annual automatic rate increase. The department is administered by city Engineering Department staff.

The offers more information about stormwater runoff and how to prevent stormwater pollution, please watch.

Stormwater management is the effort to reduce the amount of rain and snowmelt runoff from buildings, lawns and streets, while implementing measures to improve the quality of that runoff before it enters our waterways.

Rain that falls on the ground is absorbed into the soil, filtered and ultimately replenishes groundwater. Hard surfaces or saturated ground prevents this absorption and the excess rain runs off to the nearest storm inlet or waterway. This water can cause flooding and often carries debris, chemicals, bacteria, eroded soil and other pollutants into our streams, rivers, lakes or wetlands.

Managing stormwater can go a long way to help reduce these negative impacts. Even small actions by individual homeowners like using a rain barrel, choosing permeable landscaping surfaces or installing a rain garden can make a difference.

Keeping our residents and environment safe is our top priority and our team is committed to both daily actions and planning that supports our city’s future. We welcome your questions. Email John Thomas.

John Thomas
Stormwater Administrator
City of Carmel